Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “PHASE VELOCITY”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7

Coupling mid-infrared light from a photonic crystal waveguide to metallic transmission lines

We propose and theoretically study a hybrid structure consisting of a photonic crystal waveguide (PhC-wg) and a two-wire metallic transmission line (TL), engineered for efficient transfer of mid-infrared (mid-IR) light between them. An efficiency of 32% is obtained for the coupling from the transverse magnetic (TM) photonic mode to the symmetric mode of the TL, with a predicted intensity enhancement factor of 53 at the transmission line surface. The strong coupling is explained by the small phase velocity mismatch and sufficient spatial overlapping between the modes. This hybrid structure could find applications in highly integrated mid-IR photonic-plasmonic devices for biological and gas sensing, among others.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

ANALYTIC APPROXIMATE SEISMOLOGY OF PROPAGATING MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC WAVES IN THE SOLAR CORONA

Observations show that propagating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves are ubiquitous in the solar atmosphere. The technique of MHD seismology uses the wave observations combined with MHD wave theory to indirectly infer physical parameters of the solar atmospheric plasma and magnetic field. Here, we present an analytical seismological inversion scheme for propagating MHD waves. This scheme uses the observational information on wavelengths and damping lengths in a consistent manner, along with observed values of periods or phase velocities, and is based on approximate asymptotic expressions for the theoretical values of wavelengths and damping lengths. The applicability of the inversion scheme is discussed and an example is given.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A CFD model for biomass combustion in a packed bed furnace

Climate change has now become an important issue which is affecting environment and people around the world. Global warming is the main reason of climate change which is increasing day by day due to the growing demand of energy in developed countries. Use of renewable energy is now an established technique to decrease the adverse effect of global warming. Biomass is a widely accessible renewable energy source which reduces CO{sub 2} emissions for producing thermal energy or electricity. But the combustion of biomass is complex due its large variations and physical structures. Packed bed or fixed bed combustion is the most common method for the energy conversion of biomass. Experimental investigation of packed bed biomass combustion is difficult as the data collection inside the bed is challenging. CFD simulation of these combustion systems can be helpful to investigate different operational conditions and to evaluate the local values inside the investigation area. Available CFD codes can model the gas phase combustion but it can’t model the solid phase of biomass conversion. In this work, a complete three-dimensional CFD model is presented for numerical investigation of packed bed biomass combustion. The model describes the solid phase along with the interface between solid and gas phase. It also includes the bed shrinkage due to the continuous movement of the bed during solid fuel combustion. Several variables are employed to represent different parameters of solid mass. Packed bed is considered as a porous bed and User Defined Functions (UDFs) platform is used to introduce solid phase user defined variables in the CFD. Modified standard discrete transfer radiation method (DTRM) is applied to model the radiation heat transfer. Preliminary results of gas phase velocity and pressure drop over packed bed have been shown. The model can be useful for investigation of movement of the packed bed during solid fuel combustion.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Ab Initio Study of the ZnSnSb{sub 2} Semiconductor

For the chalcopyrite-like ZnSnSb{sub 2} crystal, the equilibrium crystal-lattice parameters a = 6.2893 Å, c = 12.5975 Å, and u = 0.2314 and the band structure involving the band gap E{sub g} = 0.43 eV are determined by ab initio calculations based on density functional theory. The phonon vibrational frequencies, the elastic constants (C{sub 11} = 89.3, C{sub 12} = 41.9, C{sub 13} = 41.8, C{sub 33} = 90.4, C{sub 44} = 43.9, and C{sub 66} = 44.1), the phase velocities of elastic waves, the elasticity moduli, the microhardness (2.29 GPa), and the Grüneisen elastic parameter (1.5) are calculated. The temperature dependences of the heat capacity and thermodynamic potential are considered (in the range from 20 to 633 K).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

APPARENT CROSS-FIELD SUPERSLOW PROPAGATION OF MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC WAVES IN SOLAR PLASMAS

In this paper we show that the phase-mixing of continuum Alfvén waves and/or continuum slow waves in the magnetic structures of the solar atmosphere as, e.g., coronal arcades, can create the illusion of wave propagation across the magnetic field. This phenomenon could be erroneously interpreted as fast magnetosonic waves. The cross-field propagation due to the phase-mixing of continuum waves is apparent because there is no real propagation of energy across the magnetic surfaces. We investigate the continuous Alfvén and slow spectra in two-dimensional (2D) Cartesian equilibrium models with a purely poloidal magnetic field. We show that apparent superslow propagation across the magnetic surfaces in solar coronal structures is a consequence of the existence of continuum Alfvén waves and continuum slow waves that naturally live on those structures and phase-mix as time evolves. The apparent cross-field phase velocity is related to the spatial variation of the local Alfvén/slow frequency across the magnetic surfaces and is slower than the Alfvén/sound velocities for typical coronal conditions. Understanding the nature of the apparent cross-field propagation is important for the correct analysis of numerical simulations and the correct interpretation of observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Effect of squeeze on electrostatic Trivelpiece-Gould wave damping

We present a theory for increased damping of Trivelpiece-Gouid plasma modes on a nonneutral plasma column, due to application of a Debye shielded cylindrically symmetric squeeze potential φ{sub 1}. We present two models of the effect this has on the plasma modes: a 1D model with only axial dependence, and a 2D model that also keeps radial dependence in the squeezed equilibrium and the mode. We study the models using both analytical and numerical methods. For our analytical studies, we assume that φ{sub 1}/T≪1, and we treat the Debye shielded squeeze potential as a perturbation in the equilibrium Hamiltonian. Our numerical simulations solve the 1D Vlasov-Poisson system and obtain the frequency and damping rate for a self-consistent plasma mode, making no assumptions as to the size of the squeeze. In both the 1D and 2D models, damping of the mode is caused by Landau resonances at energies E{sub n} for which the particle bounce frequency ω{sub b}(E{sub n}) and the wave frequency ω satisfy ω=nω{sub b}(E{sub n}). Particles experience a non-sinusoidal wave potential along their bounce orbits due to the squeeze potential. As a result, the squeeze induces bounce harmonics with n > 1 in the perturbed distribution. The harmonics allow resonances at energies E{sub n}≤T that cause substantial damping, even when wave phase velocities are much larger than the thermal velocity. In the regime ω/k≫√(T/m) (k is the wave number) and T≫φ{sub 1}, the resonance damping rate has a |φ{sub 1}|{sup 2} dependence. This dependence agrees with the simulations and experimental results.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Ion-beam driven lower hybrid waves in a magnetized dusty plasma

An ion beam drives lower hybrid waves to instability in a magnetized dusty plasma via Cerenkov interaction. A dispersion relation and the growth rate of the lower hybrid waves have been derived taking into account the dust charge fluctuations. The frequency and the growth rate of the unstable wave instability increase with relative density of negatively charged dust grains. The lower hybrid modes with phase velocity comparable to the beam velocity possess a large growth rate. Moreover, the growth rate of the instability increases with beam density and scales as the one-third power of the beam density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Overlapping double potential wells in a single optical microtube cavity with vernier-scale-like tuning effect

Spatially and temporally overlapping double potential wells are realized in a hybrid optical microtube cavity due to the coexistence of an aggregate of luminescent quantum dots embedded in the tube wall and the cone-shaped tube's geometry. The double potential wells produce two independent sets of optical modes with different sets of mode numbers, indicating phase velocity separation for the modes overlapping at the same frequency. The overlapping mode position can be tuned by modifying the tube cavity, where these mode sets shift with different magnitudes, allowing for a vernier-scale-like tuning effect.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Self-modulation of long electron beams in plasma at PITZ

The Photo Injector Test facility at DESY, Zeuthen site (PITZ), offers the unique possibility to study and demonstrate the self-modulation of long electron bunches in plasma. A set of numerical simulations with the particle-in-cell code OSIRIS has been carried out for a better understanding of the process. Of particular interest is the measurement of the energy modulation induced to the beam itself by means of the generated wakefields in plasma. It will reflect the key properties of the accelerating electric fields such as their magnitude and their phase velocity, both of significant importance in the design of experiments relying on this technique.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Landau damping effects on dust-acoustic solitary waves in a dusty negative-ion plasma

The nonlinear theory of dust-acoustic waves (DAWs) with Landau damping is studied in an unmagnetized dusty negative-ion plasma in the extreme conditions when the free electrons are absent. The cold massive charged dusts are described by fluid equations, whereas the two-species of ions (positive and negative) are described by the kinetic Vlasov equations. A Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation with Landau damping, governing the dynamics of weakly nonlinear and weakly dispersive DAWs, is derived following Ott and Sudan [Phys. Fluids 12, 2388 (1969)]. It is shown that for some typical laboratory and space plasmas, the Landau damping (and the nonlinear) effects are more pronounced than the finite Debye length (dispersive) effects for which the KdV soliton theory is not applicable to DAWs in dusty pair-ion plasmas. The properties of the linear phase velocity, solitary wave amplitudes (in presence and absence of the Landau damping) as well as the Landau damping rate are studied with the effects of the positive ion to dust density ratio (μ{sub pd}) as well as the ratios of positive to negative ion temperatures (σ) and masses (m)

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

PROPAGATION AND STABILITY OF SUPERLUMINAL WAVES IN PULSAR WINDS

Nonlinear electromagnetic waves with superluminal phase velocity can propagate in the winds around isolated pulsars, and around some pulsars in binary systems. Using a short-wavelength approximation, we find and analyze an integrable system of equations that govern their evolution in spherical geometry. A confined mode is identified that stagnates to finite pressure at large radius and can form a precursor to the termination shock. Using a simplified criterion, we find this mode is stable for most isolated pulsars, but may be unstable if the external pressure is high, such as in the pulsar wind nebulae in starburst galaxies and in W44. Pulsar winds in eccentric binary systems, such as PSR 1259-63, may go through phases with stable and unstable electromagnetic precursors, as well as phases in which the density is too high for these modes to propagate.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Properties of Noise Cross-Correlation Functions Obtained from a Distributed Acoustic Sensing Array at Garner Valley, California

A field test that was conducted at Garner Valley, California, on 11 and 12 September 2013 using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to sense ground vibrations provided a continuous overnight record of ambient noise. Furthermore, the energy of ambient noise was concentrated between 5 and 25 Hz, which falls into the typical traffic noise frequency band. A standard procedure (Bensen et al., 2007) was adopted to calculate noise cross-correlation functions (NCFs) for 1-min intervals. The 1-min-long NCFs were stacked using the time–frequency domain phase-weighted-stacking method, which significantly improves signal quality. The obtained NCFs were asymmetrical, which was a result of the nonuniform distributed noise sources. A precursor appeared on NCFs along one segment, which was traced to a strong localized noise source or a scatterer at a nearby road intersection. NCF for the radial component of two surface accelerometers along a DAS profile gave similar results to those from DAS channels. Here, we calculated the phase velocity dispersion from DAS NCFs using the multichannel analysis of surface waves technique, and the result agrees with active-source results. We then conclude that ambient noise sources and the high spatial sampling of DAS can provide the same subsurface information as traditional active-source methods.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Collisionless microinstabilities in stellarators. I. Analytical theory of trapped-particle modes

This is the first in a series of papers about collisionless, electrostatic micro-instabilities in stellarators, with an emphasis on trapped-particle modes. It is found that, in so-called maximum-J configurations, trapped-particle instabilities are absent in large regions of parameter space. Quasi-isodynamic stellarators have this property (approximately), and the theory predicts that trapped electrons are stabilizing to all eigenmodes with frequencies below the electron bounce frequency. The physical reason is that the bounce-averaged curvature is favorable for all orbits, and that trapped electrons precess in the direction opposite to that in which drift waves propagate, thus precluding wave-particle resonance. These considerations only depend on the electrostatic energy balance and are independent of all geometric properties of the magnetic field other than the maximum-J condition. However, if the aspect ratio is large and the instability phase velocity differs greatly from the electron and ion thermal speeds, it is possible to derive a variational form for the frequency showing that stability prevails in a yet larger part of parameter space than what follows from the energy argument. Collisionless trapped-electron modes should therefore be more stable in quasi-isodynamic stellarators than in tokamaks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Theory of correlation effects in dusty plasmas

A theory of correlation effects in dusty plasmas based on a suitably augmented Debye Huckel approximation is proposed. A model which takes into account the confinement of the dust within the plasma (by external fields) is considered. The dispersion relation of compressional modes with correlation effects is obtained. Results show that strong coupling effects may be subdominant even when Γ ≫ 1. Thus, in the limit Γ→0 and/or κ → ∞, one obtains the weakly coupled dust thermal mode. In the range of values of Γ ≫ 1, the strong coupling effects scale with κ instead of Γ; increasing Γ increases the dust acoustic waves phase velocity C{sub DAW} in this regime. In the limit Γ≫1,κ≪1, one obtains the weakly coupled dust acoustic wave. Only in the limit Γ≫1,κ≥1, one obtains strong coupling effects, e.g., the dust lattice waves (κ=a/λ{sub d}, a is the mean particle distance and λ{sub d} is the Debye length). Observations from a number of experiments are explained.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Magneto-thermal reconnection of significance to space and astrophysics

Magnetic reconnection processes that can be excited in collisionless plasma regimes are of interest to space and astrophysics to the extent that the layers in which reconnection takes place are not rendered unrealistically small by their unfavorable dependence on relevant macroscopic distances. The equations describing new modes producing magnetic reconnection over relatively small but significant distances, unlike tearing types of mode, even when dealing with large macroscopic scale lengths, are given. The considered modes are associated with a finite electron temperature gradient and have a phase velocity in the direction of the electron diamagnetic velocity that can reverse to the opposite direction as relevant parameters are varied over a relatively wide range. The electron temperature perturbation has a primary role in the relevant theory. In particular, when referring to regimes in which the longitudinal (to the magnetic field) electron thermal conductivity is relatively large, the electron temperature perturbation becomes singular if the ratio of the transverse to the longitudinal electron thermal conductivity becomes negligible.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

On the Theory of Acoustic Sounding of Tubular Channels Containing Depressurization Portions

A study is made of the evolution of pressure perturbations that propagate in a tubular channel filled with liquid or gas and having a damaged portion in the form of fairly large slots when their hydraulic resistance is minor. For this purpose, the authors have adopted a mathematical model taking account of viscous friction and of the transfer of heat in a thin layer of the liquid (or the gas) near the wall. Based on this model, dispersion relations have been obtained for the processes of propagation and reflection of harmonic waves from the damaged portion. An analysis has been made of the dependences of the phase velocity, the attenuation factor, and also the coefficients of reflection and transmission on the circular frequency, the physical properties of the liquid or the gas, and also the size of damage. The authors have presented results illustrating the dynamics of pulsed signals as a function of the distance to the damaged portion from the inlet cross section of the channel, the damage scale, and of the form of the medium (liquid or a gas) in the channel.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Laser beat wave resonant terahertz generation in a magnetized plasma channel

Resonant excitation of terahertz (THz) radiation by nonlinear mixing of two lasers in a ripple-free self created plasma channel is investigated. The channel has a transverse static magnetic field and supports a THz X-mode with phase velocity close to the speed of light in vacuum when the frequency of the mode is close to plasma frequency on the channel axis and its value decreases with the intensity of lasers. The THz is resonantly driven by the laser beat wave ponderomotive force. The THz amplitude scales almost three half power of the intensity of lasers as the width of the THz eigen mode shrinks with laser intensity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

On degenerate models of cosmic inflation

In this article we discuss the role of current and future CMB measurements in pinning down the model of inflation responsible for the generation of primordial curvature perturbations. By considering a parameterization of the effective field theory of inflation with a modified dispersion relation arising from heavy fields, we derive the dependence of cosmological observables on the scale of heavy physics Λ{sub UV}. Specifically, we show how the f{sub NL} non-linearity parameters are related to the phase velocity of curvature perturbations at horizon exit, which is parameterized by Λ{sub UV}. BICEP2 and PLANCK findings are shown to be consistent with a value Λ{sub UV} ∼ Λ{sub GUT}. However, we find a degeneracy in the parameter space of inflationary models that can only be resolved with a detailed knowledge of the shape of the non-Gaussian bispectrum.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗